So



Correspondence, Notes, etc.



occupation for an hour at a time, in an inland locality. These

little Gulls nest in vast numbers on the sheep-moors in the north

of this county.


Rooks (Corvus frugilegus, Linn.) are casual visitors to the

seashore in winter. By watching near a rookery I have

sufficiently verified the remark that these birds never by any

chance descend to pick up a twig that may have fallen to the

ground, and seldom allow one pair to build their nest at any

great distance from the main body. An attempt was made here

some years ago to establish a new rookery by placing Rooks’

eggs in the nests of the Jackdaws which inhabited a ruinous

building in the vicinity of a group of fair-sized beeches ; but the

young Rooks did not return to the spot. A couple of Rooks’

eggs were also placed in a Missel Thrush’s nest close by, and

were hatched, and the young carefully reared b} r the foster-

parents.



CORRESPONDENCE, NOTES, ETC.



BREEDING RESUETS DURING THE PAST SUMMER


Sir, —We have had, for Scotland, a very fine summer, and an excep¬

tionally fine autumn. I turned out my birds, to the number of about fifty,

into my garden aviary in April. The aviary is about 35 feet long, 8 feet

wide, and 8 feet high. There is a fine thick old ivy against the house, and

some bushes, and a thoroughly waterproof tool shed which many of the

birds took advantage of during the rainy weather.


There were three pairs of Zebra finches, and the} 7 started nesting at

once in the tool house, which was fitted with boxes, cocoa-nut husks etc.


I never disturbed the birds, but fear that I had too many birds in, as

the Zebras insisted on laying batches of eggs, then covering them up with

another layer of nesting material and laying a fresh batch on the top. One

of the pairs died in July, but between April and October 9th, when I cleared

out the tool shed, I have taken away between 120 and 130 Zebra Finches’

eggs ! Only one young bird was reared, and I never saw her until she was

nearly fully fledged.


A pair of Budgerigars nested in one of the cocoa-nut husks, rearing

five out of seven. When the birds were three parts grown the hen bird laid

four eggs among them in the same nest, and reared one young bird only.

This bird was still in the same nest when she laid seven more eggs, and one



